弥天大谎 mí tiān dà huǎng Heaven-reaching lie

Explanation

形容极其荒谬，难以置信的谎言。

Describes an extremely absurd and unbelievable lie.

Origin Story

战国时期，魏国有个大臣叫庞涓，他嫉妒孙膑的才能，于是用计陷害孙膑，将他砍去双脚。孙膑在被囚禁期间，却暗中学习兵法，最终凭借自己的才华和谋略，帮助齐国打败了魏国。庞涓恼羞成怒，又派人去刺杀孙膑，但孙膑早有防备，巧妙地躲过了刺杀。为了报复庞涓，孙膑决定向齐王进献一个“弥天大谎”。他秘密地对齐王说：“魏王派人来刺杀我，已经失败了。但他们会再次发动袭击。我建议齐国立刻出兵攻打魏国，这样一来，可以出奇制胜，彻底击败魏国。”齐王信以为真，立即下令大军出征。庞涓果然中计，魏国最终被齐国打败，庞涓也自杀了。这个故事中，孙膑故意编造的假消息，便是“弥天大谎”，正是这个“弥天大谎”，让他成功报仇雪恨，也体现了其卓越的智慧和谋略。

zhàn guó shí qī, wèi guó yǒu gè dà chén jiào páng juān, tā jídù sūn bìn de cái néng, yú shì yòng jì xiàn hài sūn bìn, jiāng tā kǎn qù shuāng jiǎo. sūn bìn zài bèi qiū jìn qī jiān, què àn zhōng xuéxí bīng fǎ, zuì zhōng píngjí zìjǐ de cái huá hé móu lüè, bāngzhù qí guó dǎ bài le wèi guó. páng juān nǎo xiū chéng nù, yòu pài rén qù cì shā sūn bìn, dàn sūn bìn zǎo yǒu fáng bèi, qiǎo miào de duǒ guò le cì shā. wèi le bàofù páng juān, sūn bìn juédìng xiàng qí wáng jìn xiàn yīgè “mí tiān dà huǎng”. tā mìmì de duì qí wáng shuō:“wèi wáng pài rén lái cì shā wǒ, yǐjīng shībài le. dàn tāmen huì zàicì fādòng xí jī. wǒ jiànyì qí guó lìkè chū bīng gōng dǎ wèi guó, zhè yàng yī lái, kěyǐ chū qí zhì shèng, chèdǐ běi bài wèi guó.” qí wáng xìn yǐ wéi zhēn, lìjí xià lìng dà jūn chū zhēng. páng juān guǒrán zhòng jì, wèi guó zuì zhōng bèi qí guó dǎ bài, páng juān yě zì shā le. zhège gùshì zhōng, sūn bìn gùyì biān zào de jiǎ xiāoxī, biàn shì “mí tiān dà huǎng”, zhèngshì zhège “mí tiān dà huǎng”, ràng tā chénggōng bàochóu xuěhèn, yě tǐxiàn le qí zhuóyuè de zhìhuì hé móu lüè.

During the Warring States period, there was a minister named Pang Juan in the State of Wei who envied Sun Bin's talent and therefore used a scheme to frame Sun Bin, cutting off his legs. While imprisoned, Sun Bin secretly studied military strategy and eventually, with his talent and strategies, helped the State of Qi defeat the State of Wei. Pang Juan, filled with shame and anger, sent people to assassinate Sun Bin, but Sun Bin was prepared and cleverly evaded the assassination. To take revenge on Pang Juan, Sun Bin decided to present a "heaven-reaching lie" to the king of Qi. He secretly told the king of Qi, "The King of Wei sent people to assassinate me, and they have failed. But they will attack again. I suggest that Qi immediately sends troops to attack Wei, so that we can achieve a surprise victory and completely defeat Wei." The king of Qi believed it and immediately ordered the army to set out. Pang Juan indeed fell for the trick, and Wei was eventually defeated by Qi, and Pang Juan committed suicide. In this story, the false message that Sun Bin intentionally fabricated is a "heaven-reaching lie," and it was this "heaven-reaching lie" that allowed him to successfully take revenge and settle the score. It also demonstrates his extraordinary wisdom and strategy.

Usage

用于形容极其荒谬的谎言。

yòng yú xiángróng jíqí huāngmiù de huǎngyán

Used to describe an extremely absurd lie.

Examples

• 他说的那些话简直是弥天大谎！

  tā shuō de nàxiē huà jiǎnzhí shì mítiān dà huǎng!

  Those words he said are nothing but a big lie!

• 这件事是一个弥天大谎，千万别相信他！

  zhè jiàn shì shì yīgè mítiān dà huǎng, qiānwàn bié xiāngxìn tā!

  This is a big lie, don't believe him!

Related Idioms

• 大谎言

• 谎话连篇

Opposite Idioms

• 肺腑之言

• 真心话